Skills shortage blocks mining boom benefits

The productivity of Australia's mining industry will continue to decline unless skills shortages are urgently addressed, an industry group has told a conference in Adelaide.

The Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance was set up in 2007 to bridge training and workforce gaps in the mining industry.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the country's mining labour productivity index has been steadily declining for the past 11 years.

Chief executive Phil de Courcey has told a resources and infrastructure conference that trend will continue unless expertise is boosted in several fields, including drilling, geology, engineering and project management.

Mr de Courcey says Australia is the third largest mining country in terms of commodity wealth and the industry's poor productivity is blocking the full benefits of the mining boom.

"Australian mining and energy has been developing very strongly over the last ten years and we're a victim of our own success to a certain extent," he said.

"We've had a lot of new projects that have come online and we haven't had the population and the skills growth in Australia to support those from existing resources.

"There's a natural flow between skills and productivity and efficiency, and efficiency means economic competitiveness and that allows us to maintain Australia's position as really one of the premier mining nations and mining entities in the world."

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